Lyophilization is a process that is used to preserve materials and increase their shelf life, including biological materials, food, and pharmaceuticals. Lyophilization occurs by first freezing material to solidify it and then subjecting the material to a low pressure environment (below atmospheric pressure) to allow for sublimation of a component of the material. Typically the component is a liquid at standard temperature and pressure, one example being water.
Depending on the type of material and volume being lyophilized, the process may take several days to complete. There is a need to improve the efficiency and shorten the time to lyophilize material without affecting the ability to later use the final lyophilized product.
Embodiments of the present invention have been made in light of these and other considerations. However, the relatively specific problems discussed above do not limit the applicability of the embodiments of the present invention.